The present invention relates to a wireless communication system.
With expansion of the field of application of computers, there is a growing market demand for those computers consisting of two separate units of a computer main body (referred to as xe2x80x9ca first terminal apparatusxe2x80x9d) and a display apparatus (or alternatively, a displaying section and a pen inputting section) (referred to as xe2x80x9ca second terminal apparatusxe2x80x9d). In such an apparatus, a first terminal apparatus is carried, for example, on an automobile. Using a second terminal apparatus, even a user freely moving around can operate the computer and watch the displayed screen. Wireless communication between the first and the second terminal apparatuses permits the user to move around freely within the reach of the wireless communication, thereby imparting a higher convenience to the apparatus. In such a wireless communication system, in order to avoid communication crossing among terminal apparatuses, an arbitrary channel is selected from a plurality of communication channels and used for communication.
With reference to FIG. 10, described below is an apparatus consisting of: a first terminal apparatus comprising a computer main body; and a second terminal apparatus comprising a displaying section.
FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of the wireless communication system.
In FIG. 10, numeral 1001 indicates a first terminal apparatus comprising a computer main body Numeral 1002 indicates a docking station. Numeral 1003 indicates a keyboard. Numeral 1004 indicates a display. Numeral 1005 indicates a second terminal apparatus comprising a displaying section. Image data generated by the computer of the first terminal apparatus 1001 is transmitted to the second terminal apparatus 1005 by wireless. The displaying section of the second terminal apparatus 1005 displays the screen depending on the received image data. The displaying section of the second terminal apparatus 1005 further serves as an input apparatus with a touch panel, an input pen, and the like thereby to transmit the input data to the first terminal apparatus 1001 by wireless. The computer of the first terminal apparatus 1001 processes the input data. The first terminal apparatus 1001 can be connected to the docking station 1002, which permits the connection both to an input apparatus such as a keyboard and to an output apparatus such as a display.
Meanwhile, not so many communication channels can be assigned to those apparatuses in which a computer (main body) and a displaying section can be used in separate units. Accordingly, when a plurality of such apparatuses are used nearby to each other, communication crossing occurs in some cases. An example of such cases is that a plurality of automobiles each provided with a computer (main body) (first terminal apparatus) gather at a location and that the automobile drivers each having a displaying section (second terminal apparatus) work in communicating with their respective first terminal apparatuses. In case that a fixed communication channel is assigned to each apparatus, it is not probable that no duplication occurs in the communication channels among all of the apparatuses within the reach of radio waves. In particular, in case that the apparatuses are carried on automobiles and the like and hence movable, the communication crossing is difficult to avoid.
Further, in case that the communication channels are selected by the terminal apparatuses exchanging the positional information with each other, it is necessary to accurately obtain the positional information and the communication channels for all of the apparatuses within the reach of radio waves. This causes a difficulty in avoiding the communication crossing.
A wireless telephone system is a system in which communication channels are managed to avoid the communication crossing. However, because of the limit in information transfer rate, large data such as image information can not be transmitted in the system.
No prior art wireless communication system hag been capable of resolving the above-mentioned problem.
An object of the present invention is to resolve the above-mentioned problem. More specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a wireless communication system in which for example, a management center maintains a data base of the positional information of apparatuses thereby to assign communication channels, whereby computers (main bodies) and corresponding displaying sections can communicate with each other without communication crossing even in case that a plurality of those apparatuses in which the computer (main body) and the displaying section can be used in separate units are used nearby to each other.
In order to resolve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention has the following configurations.
The present invention of claim 2 is a wireless communication system comprising a first terminal apparatus, a second terminal apparatus, and a management center, wherein said first terminal apparatus comprises: a position detecting section for detecting the positional information of said first terminal apparatus; a computer for generating image information; a first wireless communication section for transmitting said image information to a third wireless communication section of said second terminal apparatus through a first communication channel; and a second wireless communication section for transmitting said positional information to a communication section of said management center, for receiving first communication channel specifying information specifying said first communication channel from said communication section of said management center, and for transferring said first communication channel specifying information to said first wireless communication section; wherein said second terminal apparatus comprises: said third wireless communication section for receiving said image information; and a displaying section for displaying said image information; and wherein said management center comprises: said communication section for receiving said positional information and for transmitting said first communication channel specifying information; and a first communication channel determining section for determining said first communication channel specifying information depending on said positional information.
The present invention of claim 4 is a wireless communication system comprising a first terminal apparatus, a second terminal apparatus, and a management center, wherein said first terminal apparatus comprises: a computer for generating image information; a first wireless communication section for transmitting said image information to a third wireless communication section of said second terminal apparatus through a first communication channel; and a second wireless communication section for performing wireless communication with a wireless communication base station thereby to receive the positional information of said first terminal apparatus from said wireless communication base station, for transmitting said positional information to a communication section of said management center, for receiving first communication channel specifying information specifying said first communication channel from said communication section of said management center, and for transferring said first communication channel specifying information to said first wireless communication section; wherein said second terminal apparatus comprises: said third wireless communication section for receiving said image information; and a displaying section for displaying said image information; and wherein said management center comprises: said communication section for receiving said positional information and for transmitting said first communication channel specifying information; and a first communication channel determining section for determining said first communication channel specifying information depending on said positional information.
The present invention of claim 5 is a wireless communication system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said third wireless communication section of said second terminal apparatus determines a first communication channel depending on said first communication channel specifying information transmitted from said first wireless communication section, or said third wireless communication section determines, as said first communication channel, a communication channel through which information containing an identifier identical to that being stored is received.
The present invention of claim 6 is a wireless communication system of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said second terminal apparatus further comprises a fourth wireless communication section, and wherein said fourth wireless communication section receives said first communication channel specifying information from either said communication section of said management center or said second wireless communication section, and transfers said first communication channel specifying information to said third wireless communication section.
The present invention of claim 8 is a method for controlling a wireless communication system comprising a first terminal apparatus, a second terminal apparatus, and a management center, said method comprising: position detecting step in which said first terminal apparatus detects the positional information of said first terminal apparatus; transmitting step in which said first terminal apparatus transmits said positional information to said management center by wireless; receiving step in which said management center receives said positional information; communication channel determining step in which said management center determines first communication channel specifying information specifying a first communication channel, depending on said positional information; communication step in which said management center transmits said first communication channel specifying information to said first terminal apparatus; receiving step in which said first terminal apparatus receives said first communication channel specifying information; image information generating step in which said first terminal apparatus generates image information; wireless communication step in which said first terminal apparatus transmits said image information to said second terminal apparatus through said first communication channel by wireless; wireless communication step in which said second terminal apparatus receives said image information by wireless; and displaying step in which said second terminal apparatus displays said image information.
The present invention of claim 6 is a method for controlling a wireless communication system comprising a first terminal apparatus, a second terminal apparatus, and a management center, said method comprising: receiving step in which said first terminal apparatus performs wireless communication with a wireless communication base station thereby to receive the positional information of said first terminal apparatus from said wireless communication base station transmitting step in which said first terminal apparatus transmits said positional information to said management center by wireless; receiving step in which said management center receives said positional information; communication channel determining step in which said management center determines first communication channel specifying information specifying a first communication channel, depending on said positional information; communication step in which said management center transmits said first communication channel specifying information to said first terminal apparatus; receiving step in which said first terminal apparatus receives said first communication channel specifying information by wireless; image information generating step in which said first terminal apparatus generates image information; wireless communication step in which said first terminal apparatus transmits said image information to said second terminal apparatus through said first communication channel by wireless; wireless communication step in which said second terminal apparatus receives said image information by wireless; and displaying step in which said second terminal apparatus displays said image information.
The present invention of claim 7 is a method for controlling a wireless communication system of claims 5 or 6, said method further comprising: communication channel determining step in which said second terminal apparatus receives said first communication channel specifying information transmitted from said first terminal apparatus by wireless and then determines a first communication channel depending on said first communication channel specifying information, or in which said second terminal apparatus determines, as said first communication channel, a communication channel through which information containing an identifier identical to that being stored is received.
The present invention of claim 8 is a method for controlling a wireless communication system of claim 5 or 6, said method further comprising: receiving step in which said second terminal apparatus receives said first communication channel specifying information from said management center by wireless.
The present invention realizes a wireless communication system in which first terminal apparatuses and corresponding second terminal apparatuses can perform data communication with each other without communication crossing with the other terminal apparatuses.
The novel features of the invention will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and the configuration and details of the invention, together with other objects and features thereof, will become better understood and appreciated by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.